Time of Despair
by elisheva
Summary: A glimpse at a possible future for Jack and Elizabeth


**A/N: Not my characters. Just a possiblity for our favorite heroes. Enjoy!**

The attack came out of nowhere. How can a ship come and surprise another ship in the middle of the ocean?

Elizabeth battled another sailor, successfully parrying but was quickly tiring. She found herself tiring more recently. The man seeked out her weakness and found it, pushing her against the mast, ordering for her to surrender.

Jack came out of nowhere-much like the ship- to attack the man holding her. She took the opening he gave her and sliced the man's side.

Someone grabbed her from behind and held a gun to her head. "Give up, pirate, or your girl gets dead."

Jack immediately lowered his sword.

"Jack!" she protested.

"Let her go and I'll come peaceful with you," Jack said, ignoring the woman before him.

"I'll let her go." Quickly he called his men over to grab the infamous pirate and started dragging Elizabeth with him.

"You said she'd go free," Jack said, struggling against his captors.

"A pirate whore should hang with her captain"

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively as she sat on the floor of her dark cell. Outside she could hear the hammers as the men built scaffolds to hang the pirates. She glanced down at the small black pearl ring on her left hand and wondered what Jack was plotting because she had nothing so far. She must speak to Jack.

She stood up and went to the bars to look around. Noticing a young officer down the hall she made her move. "Excuse me," she said in a tearful voice.

He walked closer and she was pleased to see he was younger than she thought. "Yes?"

She squeezed out a tear. "Please, I ask that you spare me."

"You are a pirate," he told her.

She flexed her arm where the brand was still burning. "But I am a woman."

"You made your choice," he told her bitterly. He started to walk away.

"I'm expecting," she blurted out. "Surely you will spare my child."

The boy stopped then turned around. "What?"

"Please."

He seemed to take pity. "I shall ask my commanding officer for leniency."

He came nearly an hour later to find Elizabeth staring forlornly out of her barred window.

"Miss, you've been offered a reprieve until you bore the babe."

She gave him a watery smile. "Thank you. Could you tell me when they will hang?"

"Tomorrow morning."

She walked to the bars and gave him a wide eyed look. "May I ask to see the captain?"

The boy look uncomfortable. "I'm not sure."

Tears threatened to fall. "Please. He should know about his son before he dies."

"I shall tell him."

She grabbed his hand. "Please," she said again. "I should like to be the one."

He finally relented and walked her down another hall where she found Jack sitting collected on the dirty floor as casual as ever.

"Jack," she said softly.

He looked up in surprise. "Elizabeth. What's she doing here?"

The boy unlocked the cell and allowed her to enter. Jack stood and she uncharacteristically threw her arms around his lean frame. "I had to see you. Before tomorrow." She looked up at him and gave a weak smile before looking to the boy. He took the hint and left.

Jack cupped her cheek gently. "You shouldn't be here."

"I got a reprieve."

"How?"

She blushed under his gaze. "I told them I was pregnant."

He snorted. "They believed you?"

"Jack, it's true."

He stared at her before giving her a sweet kiss. "We need to get out of here."

"You are going to hang tomorrow unless you come up with something."

He smiled. "Don't think saying I'm carrying will work."

She scowled and slapped his chest in anger. "Be serious."

He glanced down and noticed her fierce red brand. He grabbed her wrist to study it closer. "They got you."

"Aye. Don't let it be for naught."

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, luv," he said with a smirk.

They brainstormed until she fell asleep in his lap early in the morning. They came for Jack when daylight broke and Elizabeth didn't have to fake her tears of fear. She insisted on joining him to the scaffold but their jailors wouldn't allow it.

She sat on the floor, wringing her hands with tears streaming her face.

Then she heard it- the shouts of anger. "Chase him you fools!" she heard.

Elizabeth smiled. Good. He would be waiting for her as planned. She worked her idea in her head and waited patiently for her jailor to return...


End file.
